26 July 2010

I have been putting off writing another article for a good two weeks just because I am lazy and on vacation right now. The truth is that I have had numerous opportunities to write when I have been doing nothing but playing video games, but procrastination got the best of me. The worst part is that it happens more often than not, but especially in the high school environment. Procrastination has been known to ruin the careers of many high schoolers.

High School Students always feel like they have one more day to do everything that needs to be done. A teacher assigns an essay at the beginning of the month and says that it is due on the 30th, a time so distant that teens often forget about it. About a week before the deadline of a huge project or essay, students remember and actually start to work on said project. The key phrase is start to work on it. High School students rarely finish their projects until the night before or morning of the due date. Some have legitimate excuses, but most other teens procrastinate.

Yes there are other assignments to do and other events going on in the average teen’s life, but there is usually extra time in between all of these events to get additional work done. The problem is that most teens use this free time to spend hours on Facebook every day or just do nothing. It is very important to relax for a bit every day, but wasting away hours is not healthy, and definitely not productive. It is just so much easier to procrastinate and do everything at the last minute. A friend once told me that if “you wait until the last minute to do something, it only takes a minute,” which is true, but how good will something done at the last minute be?

Successful students know how to budget their time wisely, something that actually takes time and practice to learn properly. An essay might be due in a month, but a good student knows that within that same month there will be at least 2 more large assignments in other classes, along with multiple tests and regular homework. This student might hold off on the essay for a week, but once the weekend comes with a few extra hours to work, you could bet that the successful students are at least writing down their ideas and figuring out how they want to approach the assignment, if not already working on a first draft.

Getting an assignment done early relives stress and anxiety. Even starting an assignment early makes you feel much more prepared and like a better student. Mentally, there will not be the weight of a full assignment in addition to all of the other work, and let me tell you that this is a great feeling. There is nothing better than setting aside an entire evening to work, realizing that half of every assignment was already done, and finishing in only 2 hours. You feel super productive when work finishes itself in 20 minutes and you can move on to bigger and better things.

So bearing all of this in mind, how does a teen or student conquer procrastination? – It takes will power. The student needs to exert himself/herself and just do it. Rather than think of excuses, you need to start and work. You will be amazed at the results and the amount of free time that you will have as a result of not procrastinating. Really. Students will be more relaxed and surely perform better in school. Overcoming procrastination is something that will be beneficial for the future in so many ways. It is best to start to do it now, because the adult world is much less forgiving about procrastinators.

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comments:

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Great article! Procrastination is big obstacle for teens to get through in high school. I think the hardest thing for students is finding a method of doing homework that helps them get it done quick and on time. For more tips on how students can develop better studying techniques and more, visit http://highschoolmediator.com/

“Mom! Just give me a couple more hours!” That was the start of a 7 hour long night of adrenaline, sweat, and English work. Sound like you? Procrastinating on your homework? All high school students should procrastinate on homework in order to be able to have fun on their own time table, be able to get used to working under high pressure, and going without sleep for long periods of time; like me!

It was November 1, 2010 at 11:00PM. I remembered I had an English project. The evaluation had been assigned a week earlier, but I ignored the time to work on it because I had more important things to do. Such as harassing the dog, pummeling David (my little brother), and just lying on the couch enjoying myself. I was in my pajamas, settled down at the computer, with my Seahawks blanket covering my restless body from the harsh cold of our spacious house. I had to fill out a humongous chart, form a thesis, write a draft, and read through it to see what I could change before November 2 at 6:30AM (when I had to get ready for school).

I began to go through the book I had chosen, The Giver. I vigorously flipped through the pages to find quotes to represent the different elements of literature. Page by page, I scanned the book to find any small proof to put in my essay to make it the best it could be. By the time I went through the whole book, I had just enough proof to make an essay. I looked at the clock: 6:00am!!! I started to panic. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I typed out each word for my draft. I just had to get the evaluation done before I left. My fingers started to cramp and lock up, but I refused to stop. First paragraph, second paragraph, third paragraph, fourth paragraph. It seemed to stretch on forever. As I ran into the end of the essay, I began to relax and I was able to finish it off. I laid back in the chair and just stared at the computer clock. 6:10am. I wrote an essay in 10 minutes. New record, I thought.

I got ready for my first class: World Studies B. I was on the edge of my seat, engaged. I listened to every word Mr. Snodgrass had to say and wrote important parts in my notes. I was on top of things even though I had not had any sleep. The time had come for English 1B to start. I was alert and ready for what Mr. A had in store for us freshmen. Even though I kept complaining to my seat partner, Celine, that I was tired and had stayed up the whole night, I was paying attention to what was going on. During English, we were peer reviewing each other’s evaluation essays. When I looked at my comments later, I saw that everybody had enjoyed my essay and thought my word choice and structure was quite intriguing. I couldn’t believe that my 10 minute evaluation of a book could be enjoyable.

So, all high school students should procrastinate in order to be able to have fun on their own time, be able to get used to working under high pressure, and going without sleep for long periods of time; like me! In my experience, I had fun before I went to do my homework. I also was able to get used to working quickly under pressure. Furthermore, I was able to stay up the whole day even when I stayed up all night. So, procrastinate away and have fun while you can in your freedom days as a high schooler!!!